NFL Midseason Power Rankings

With most NFL teams nearing halfway through the regular season, it is time to rank all 32 teams according to their record, division, and strength of schedule.

New England PatriotsUnless something crazy happens, it is almost guaranteed that the undefeated Patriots will clinch home field advantage in the AFC. Head Coach Bill Belichick is a defensive mastermind and quarterback Tom Brady is arguably the greatest football player ever. Not much more needs to be said.

San Francisco 49ers The 49ers are the only team in the NFC that has not lost a game yet, and that is saying a lot. They have had it easy going so far considering they only played one division game. But if San Francisco can keep the winning streak going, they are potential Super Bowl contenders.

New Orleans SaintsEver since the Week 2 game against the Rams, the Saints have gone marching in on a 5-game winning streak. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has so many weapons to utilize that not many teams can stop them from putting up 30 points, and starter Drew Brees returned to lead them to victory this week. New Orleans is bound to win the NFC South again.

Seattle SeahawksTwo words: Russell Wilson. Just him alone is enough for the Seahawks challenge the 49ers for the top division spot. Wilson has only thrown one interception while throwing for 17 touchdowns so far this season, while setting consistent 100+ Quarterback Ratings. The week 10 matchup against the 49ers will be interesting.

Baltimore RavensLamar Jackson is looking like a real-life cheat code. The team has their bumps to iron out, but they also have a possible MVP at the helm. This week’s test against the Patriots will be a test of how strong the Ravens really are.

Kansas City ChiefsThe best team in the AFC West looks to repeat a division championship. Patrick Mahomes is not fully 100 percent, but as long as he can stay healthy, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs are able to compile another deep playoff run.

Green Bay PackersAaron Rodgers threw for over 400 yards against Oakland last week and followed it up with another great performance as Green Bay defeated the Chiefs this week.

Buffalo BillsPeople can debate the legitimacy of this team, but the Bills have a 5-2 record. Josh Allen is only the second best dual-threat QB, but it is the Buffalo defense that held almost every team they’ve played under 20 points. That’s impressive.

Minnesota VikingsAfter dropping a few early division games to some fierce rivals, the Vikings have emerged as one of the league’s best teams. They are currently on a 4-game winning streak and they have enough faith in their team to go after a wild card spot.

Indianapolis ColtsThe Colts have a strong start to the season, with impressive wins over the Chiefs and Texans. Jacoby Brissett, Eric Ebron, T.Y. Hilton, and Quientin Nelson are all bright spots in Indianapolis’s offense, but they boast a strong defense as well.

Carolina PanthersWith starting quarterback Cam Newton repeatedly getting injured, the Panthers turned to an undrafted prospect in Kyle Allen. Allen has won every game that he has started and has become a leader for Carolina. Christian McCaffrey also helps Allen carry the offensive load by being fourth in the league in rushing.

Los Angeles Rams The Rams have not gotten out to a very good start with quarterback Jared Goff struggling greatly. But on the bright side, they boosted their defensive lineup with the addition of top cornerback Jalen Ramsey. from Jacksonville. L.A. needs to fix a few things still, but they have shown some promise.

Houston TexansThe longest win streak Houston has been on so far this season has been 2. That’s not very good for a team that has an explosive offense and a tough defense. The Texans need to get their act together if they want to beat out the Colts for the AFC South.

Dallas CowboysThe Cowboys looked like they would get off to a good start with 3 straight wins, but shortly thereafter, they suffered 3 straight losses. Through Week 8, Quarterback Dak Prescott and halfback Ezekiel Elliot are both top ten in the league in passing and rushing respectively. The addition of Michael Bennett should help solidify their defense.

Philadelphia EaglesThe Eagles have a .500 record, and that does not sit well with their fans. Head Coach Doug Peterson guaranteeing a win is a good idea, until you lose the same game you promised to win. The Eagles are still a good team, as shown by their win this week in Buffalo, but they still have some winkles to iron out.

Arizona CardinalsWho would’ve thought that the Cardinals would be 3-4-1 after eight games? The offensive philosophy of head coach Kliff Kingsbury is starting to work, but Arizona needs to win a few games in their division to prove themselves.

Oakland RaidersMuch like the Cardinals, the Raiders are sitting just below .500 for the year, which has surprised a lot of people. Oakland is not strong enough to challenge the Chiefs for the AFC West, but they could possibly compete for a wild card spot.

Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears have an issue with their offense. They don’t have a solid quarterback and decent weapons to challenge most teams. At least they boast one of the best defensive squads led by Khalil Mack.

Detroit LionsThe Lions are stronger than they look on paper. After winning 2 of 3 games to start the season (and having a tie), Detroit lost three straight against tough competition before yesterday’s win against the Giants. It has been a tough start for the Lions, but at least quarterback Matthew Stafford has solid receivers to throw to.

Jacksonville JaguarsGaining two first round picks from the Rams for Jalen Ramsey may not benefit the Jaguars now, but they boast a great deal of draft capital to build around for the next few years. They still boast lots of talent, such as Leonard Fournette, but they need to solve their quarterback issue soon, or they may suffer.

Cleveland Browns The Browns were hyped up tremendously to start the season, but they have failed to deliver seven weeks into the season. It’s not looking very good either in the next coming weeks as they face New England and Buffalo.

Tennessee TitansMarcus Mariota is a quarterback with large amounts of potential, but the Titans have failed him by not giving him the supporting pieces he needs. By starting Ryan Tannehill instead of Mariota, the Titans have moved on from this era.

Denver BroncosAfter starting 0-3, Denver looked to turn things around with 2 straight wins. Unfortunately, against the Chiefs, the entire team fell apart, and then they blew a late lead this week against the Colts. Denver is already looking towards the draft and rebuild this off-season.

Tampa Bay BuccaneersMike Evans and Chris Godwin are having great years, and both receivers are looking to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark at the end of the year. Unfortunately, their quarterback, Jameis Winston, can’t stop throwing the ball to the other team. The Bucs are looking to draft a solid quarterback.

Pittsburgh SteelersThe only two things that the Steelers have to hope on are Devlin Hodges and their defense. James Connor is always a bright light for the Steel City. This team probably has the most potential to turn their season around.

New York GiantsDaniel Jones and Saquon Barkley will lead this offense for years to come, but the weakness of this team is in the defense.

New York JetsHaving two of the best AFC teams in your division doesn’t help, but Sam Darnold might be able to light it up for the next couple of games against mediocre teams.

Atlanta FalconsMatt Ryan is now hurt, and the Falcons should start tanking for a good draft pick, but they have ones of the best receiving trios in the NFL.

Los Angeles ChargersThe Chargers looked like a contender to start the season, but unfortunately about halfway through, maybe they should look for draft capital to rebuild their team.

Washington RedskinsThe Dwayne Haskins draft choice didn’t turn out like the Redskins wanted. On the bright side, Terry McLaurin is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Miami Dolphins The Dolphins are straight up terrible. They should continue trading away players to get draft picks to rebuild the next couple years.

Cincinnati BengalsThe Bengals’ best player, Joe Mixon, ran for 10 yards last week. That really shows how bad the team really is. At least they have a great draft pick for this year. At least Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, or Jake Fromm will be their next starting QB.

Jack Oedekoven is the Director of Public Relations for The Rambler. He is a member of the class of 2020. He also plays football and runs track. During his free time, he writes for his Quora page and enjoys drawing.